New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-23
MAN USORIPT IN THE PULPIT.
MR.. BLAINE TAKEN TO TASK.


| REFLECTIONS ON HIS RECENT BOSTON ADDRESS
JURY AND CONGREGATION.
To tho Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: I have ON enthusiastic admiration for Mr..
Blaine. I regard him ono of tho noblest and
ablest men Of the country and ago. There h
usually wisdom In his speech AMI no man turns SEN
teneo moro neatly But sometimes Homer mods, and
sOmetimes-though rarcy-Mr. Blaine shows limita
ton This he did tho th.r night in his address before
tho Boston Congregational Club, when he assalled
the use Of the manuscript in the pulpit Mr..
Blaine has made the common mistake Of assuming that
the model Of all speech O lawyers address before
jury.
Now Heaven save that mark There does not seem to
be any great rush among for the privilege of sit
t'ng on jury to hear this typical el0qlence. There
Ia no attraction about the performance except to old
jury jes," who want to keep warm by tho county
fire. Issue venrc and men cay: "Tako any shape
but that and my firm nerves shall never trcmble."
1t is said the pulpit does not hold the people. Well
does the bar do 1t takes the power Of tho county
behind tho average lawyer to got him any hearing
at all. II 1t optional with q juryman whether
he should hear the arguments Of attorneys or not how
long would he be likely to lngerl The song Of tho
juryman Is al would not live alwayI ask not to stay"
Then suppose 1t optional with the jury, IL
they h hear tho arguments OF attorneys, to bring in
a verdict not, or II they pleased to bring 1t in
out Of which a suspicion would como to the
public mind that the effectiveness u the eOquence
Of attorneys had been overcstimated.
The pulpit is said tO DO f1ilug TO the public
assont to the standards Of faith If after a sermon
could get tip STAFF to marshal my congregation of
to some Internal limbo about the premises and con-
fine them there bread, water and tobacco till they
agreed. / should have chance out Of two that
In twenty four hours could got unanimous consent
To Athanaslan
creed. The larger share Of tho conviction" that
IN wrought in court is tho work Of the sheriff and not
OF the attorneys. Men have to come to some conclu-
sion they cannot 90 homo. We do not have
that attachment TO o church.
AZ to tho merits OF the speech in courts the least
OF It'll Often "The VOLTS long howl from Coma
laskas shore is nothing to IL. II you go by court
room door you quito likely to hear articulate
racket that "fo'r ana twenty elders" combined could
not make. You say zero is richness" let us go In
and hear. When you open the door you doing
Judge, sheriff asleep twelve urymen tipped in their
chairs to many points OF the compass for relief TO
their aching bodies anil tvv attorneys, aud OtheI
soul In the one Of these attorneys is roaring
like q bull VI Bashan to tho aforesaid jurymcn. A
half hour OF his speech Is bad enough, but he can
keep 1t up for days II he choose. One reason Why
the ~ Of trial by jury should be abolished ia bo
cause it is nursery Of tho most abominable style
Of speaking known among men.
Mr.. Blaine says: What would 30 thought Of an
attorney who should produce manuscript before a
Jury r II attorney had only half hour for his
address to a jury. nine times out Of ten. if no had
any interest In his case, he would produce manu-
script and what Is more read 1t very quietly and in
his natural key. The necessity Of bevity would Sc
,urc that method and result. In an average half
hour the pulpit does effective work for lts
purposes than the bar does for It's purposes. When
.ln thfplrin
minds. thcn he takes to his pen. He makos an
extcmpoaneous argument before jury, but he files
brief with tho supreme Court. 1t Is the thinking
element OF tho community that Is gathered In the ]
'hurchos the Sabbath. 1t Is grave error TO sup |
pose that tho thoughtful have forsaken the church
The lawyer there the judge IL there the physician
IA there Tho mass OF the congregation liz there ~
purpose 10 think. Custom ~ mighty. 1t has set
ts half hour limit to the sermon. preacher who |
" do cannot trust himself to founder
around half Of that time TO get into intellectual POI
tJn. lilo wants To start at tie wori go and make |
line cvey second. lt IL SAID that one might succeed |
with eXtcmp0re preaching II no put time and force |
'nough ON preparation. That " not true for the |
average man. There IL whole chapter Of answers |
% that statement. II man could be guaranteed his |
,cst ply steal and mental condition every Sunday morn.
ng that might suffice. But suppose Sunday comes |
ind your keel Il on the sand and you cannot make |
our tonelrss BRAN tbs thought you have !
Elaborated and your tongue does "cleave To tho roof
II your mouth" then will see that you would have
Il tho live moments IF the week there Is no finer
entence III the English tongue thap the one con-
ludins Mr. Blsnes address on the life and character
4 Garfield That address was read by Mr.. Blaine
rom manuscript. With all his splendid capacity for
xtemporc speech no did dare not trust himself before
liz august auditory without his last word written,
Tho preaching of the gospel must be carried very
lrge!y by ordinary men-iuon who have no moments
genius, but who can work out q fair result IN
eek and II they have caught 1t for presentation
resent 1t fairly the sabbath. Mr.. Blaine wants
hing that f Ipu Wall
od malo but Whitfield and one Paul, but Christ
DID everybody to preach the gospel, and men must
reach 1t a. they c1n. The preaching Of tho gospel
a very large affair. 1t calls for many methods. To
ue out preaching unless 1t conforms TO the modes OF
rlvery followed by attorneys at the bar Is wrongully
, limit the range tho possibilities of apply ing the
Ospols power. The modes and methods OF the
,achcr well Is those of tho attorney belong TO
10 pulpit. II the pulpit talked more and preached
~. IN tho common aceeplauon of the latter term, 1t
ould be better for the gospel. We may have half o
Dzen pulpit orators In century. The Chry sessions
ave not been born moro frequently than that along
ne ages. But tho mass Of the people need to hear
10 gospel and To hear 1t frequently Tho average
Dunry clergy IL not very great man. but hs
III somehow keep the mind OF township in con-
ct with tho gospel The people meet once week
hear "the parson pray and preach" and he prob
bly, priys more gospel int thcm than he breaches. |
o matter how poor the preaching, tho very meet |
" OF tho people is gospel to the lonesome souls Of
,untIy life lrlise UOd tho country IL yet four To
10 10 tho city But the country cannot have the /,
st results OF genius in It's pulpit. The people will
better with their weekly meeting, even IL tho I
rmOn is of ordinary grade. IL they sing together ,
ID hca, n heartfelt prayer. than they would y ~
,cA In six weeks to hear Whitfield preach.
go sweetcr than the marriage feast I
Tis swceter far to me, =
To walk together ~ tho kirh
With goOdly company
To walk together ~ tho kirks
And oil together pray,
While each to his great Father bends, 4
Old men and babcs and loving friends q
And youths and matens gayi" 3
A community that makes real that picture will ,
ID out what tho Gospel IL and will have glad life \
1t, II Whitfield or Pau should never stray into its ,
ilpt 6. CAvRRSO. =
Lombard, H., Jan. 6, 1887. :
THE PRESIDENTS CHOICE OF pPTH